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Dunn, NC
A radio operator during WWII and a resident of Philadephia,
96-year-old George Shenkle came a long way over a long life,
surviving D-Day to visit the General William C. Lee Airborne Museum
in Dunn during the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment 75th
annivesrary last week. At right is a replica of Gen. Lee with his
wife, Dava, listening to the D-Day invasion Gen. Lee helped plan on
the radio. Gen. Lee had a heart attack before the invasion and could
not be a part of it. Paratroopers reportedly yelled out ‘Bill Lee’
as they jumped. [Daily Record Photo/Shaun Savarese]
Paratroopers Visit Museum For Airborne’s Father
October 25
• Half-dozen WWII veterans come to Dunn.
By SHAUN SAVARESE
Of The Record Staff
The 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (82nd Airborne) held its 75th
anniversary in Fayetteville over the weekend, spending Thursday
afternoon in Dunn, at the General William C. Lee Airborne Museum.
The regiment saw combat at Normandy in June of 1944, in Holland from
September until November 1944 and in Belgium through Jan. 21, 1945.
More than 60 people took the bus trip to 209 W. Divine St., arriving
shortly before noon for a group picture. Around half of the group —
including several WWII veterans — were granted admission into the
museum. While the other half of the reunion crowd waited to enter
the museum, they ate lunch at Grandsons.
Not part of the reunion, but among the crowd, were the wife, son and
grandson of Master Sgt. James R. Blue of Dunn — a hero during World
War II. Sgt. Blue served in the 508th PIR, jumping into Normandy on
D-Day as part of Operation Overlord. Sgt. Blue was also a part of
Operation Market Garden in Holland and was wounded in Belgium on
Dec. 4, earning the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He was also part
of Eisenhower’s Honor Guard in Frankfurt, Germany.
His wife, Doris Blue, his son, Ronnie Blue, and his grandson, Nathan
Adams, said Sgt. Blue never missed a reunion before his passing on
May 14, 2004, at the age of 84. He served as a master sergeant in
the Army for 22 years in the 82nd Airborne division. He was the
first curator for the 82nd Airborne Museum at Fort Bragg and the
Gen. William C. Lee Museum in Dunn.
Gen. William C. Lee Commission board members Mark Johnson and Ray
Stone welcomed the local family of Sgt. Blue, as well as the 508th
PIR reunion crowd. “The Maj. General William C. Lee Airborne Museum
appreciates and is honored by the visit of the 508th Parachute
Infantry Regiment Association on their 75th anniversary,” Mr.
Johnson said. “We are especially proud of the visit if the WWII
veterans that came with the group, and honored by their presence,
and enjoyed talking with them and listening to their stories from
WWII.”
One of a half-dozen WWII veterans who visited the museum Thursday
was 96-year-old George Shenkle of Philadelphia, Penn.
Cpl. Shenkle is the co-author of the book, “My Clear Conscience,” a
160-page memoir on his experiences in Easy Company, 508th Parachute
Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. The book was co-authored
by Adam Berry and published on May 7, 2014.
He said the title was inspired by the fact Mr. Shenkle did not kill
anyone during his service in the war. The WWII radio operator only
discharged his weapon at the enemy once, at Vox Hill, Holland, above
the German border.
“I shot in the direction of the enemy in the darkness,” he said.
He has visited his former battlefields and attends events
commemorating WWII in the United States and in Europe, like last
week’s 75th reunion in Fayetteville and the surrounding area.
Mr. Shenkle visited the location where he landed on D-Day, and he
recalled the scene of that night in Normandy while sitting in the
museum’s main corridor.
He said it was a dark night, lit by a large, bright moon. When he
landed, he turned left, eventually joining a group of soldiers who
sat waiting for direction. A colonel by the name of Shandy came upon
the group gathered 30 or more and divided them in three to conduct
an operation.
Only Two Living Now
Mr. Shenkle said he and soldier Joe Morettini are the only two still
living who flew on that C-47.
“As far as I know Morettini is still alive. He’s a younger man than
I am and I’m 96,” Mr. Shenkle said.
Mr. Shenkle currently stays in a retirement hospital and was
thankful his doctors cleared him to attend the reunion.
Richard J. O’Donnell was not Army nor Airborne. However, he was
inspired by his own eight years of service in the Air Force. Through
his discovery of a family member who died on D-Day, he became
heavily involved in the association.
The General William C. Lee Airborne Museum is a place Mr. O’Donnell
always wanted to visit, but never had the chance. He called
Thursday’s visit “very meaningful.”
“The place that Gen. Lee holds in the Airborne is obviously
significant and unique and I think anybody with the Airborne
connection … would enjoy touring the museum, looking at the exhibits
and learning about him, and the Airborne’s early days,” he said.
The original association was to be retired in 2004 and Mr. O’Donnell
lobbied to start another, one year later. He later became the
webmaster for the association’s website, which is widely considered
to be one of the best.
Jim Farrell is the author of the book “Uncle Matty Comes Home.” The
book is about his Uncle Martin (Matty) Teahan, who was killed in the
June 1944 D-Day invasion of France.
Mr. Farrell recieved an email in 2016 that his uncle’s rifle had
been recovered. He worked to bring it home and have it put in a
museum.
‘Special Moment’
“The 75th reunion was a very special moment for me, to meet not only
the WWII heroes, but all generations of 508th paratroopers. All of
them showed such character, respect and honor, it showed me a
glimmer of what my uncle was like,” Mr. Farell said.
“I must admit, I did not know about Gen. Lee, but all of us who
visited the museum would go on to talk about him for the rest of the
day and we’re proud we now know the history,” he said.
Mr. Farrell said WWII veteran Rock Merritt served with his uncle and
Mr. Merritt educated the crowd on who the father of the airborne
was.
“All of us were glued to his every word as he told the story of Maj.
Gen. William C. Lee,” Mr. Farrell said.
Luis Gutierrez said after Mr. Merritt gave his history lesson,
everyone who served in the 508th was excited — from veterans of WWII
to veterans of Vietnam, Panama and Grenada.
“We do these reunions every third year in Fayetteville and from this
point forward the (General William C. Lee Airborne) Museum in Dunn
will be on the agenda when the reunion is in Fayetteville,” said Mr.
Gutierrez.
Daily Record Photo/Shaun Savarese – Family and Friends of the 508th
PIR Association Richard J. O’Donnell presents historical documents
about WWII veteran, Sgt. James R. Blue, to his son, Ronnie. From
left are Mr. O’Donnell, Sgt. Blue’s wife, Doris Blue; local WWII
veteran, Rock Merritt; Sgt. Blue’s son, Ronnie Blue; and James
Blue’s grandson, Nathan Adams. ‘It was a real treasure trove,’ Mr.
O’Donnell said of the documents. ‘There was a lot of stuff that they
had never seen before. It really was a pleasure to put [them] in
their hands.’
NOTE:
all spelling retained from original copy |
